Malaysian football is on guard after a spate of player attacks

The Malaysian Football Association has advised players to consider hiring bodyguards, while Johor Darul Ta’zim has increased the security of its squad after their midfielder Safiq Rahim became the third player to be attacked in the last week.

Safiq, a former Malaysian captain, had his car windshield smashed by unknown assailants late on Tuesday.

Selangor winger Faisal Abdul Halim was in a critical condition after being thrown with acid at a mall on Sunday, while international player Akhyar Rashid was injured in a robbery outside his home in the eastern state of Terengganu last week, reports said Media.

Terengganu police said the two attacks were unrelated, but the incidents raised concerns in Malaysia, where violence against athletes is rare.

Safiq, who was uninjured in the incident, said in a copy of a police report shared on Instagram that two men on a motorcycle drove up to his car with a hammer and smashed his rear window.

“I didn’t expect that I would be attacked next time near the JDT training center. We must be vigilant,” the 36-year-old said in an accompanying caption.

JDT, which is headed by the crown prince of the Johor royal family, called on police to investigate the attack on Safiq and said it had advised players to be careful about their surroundings and what they post on social media .

“The incident, along with the recent attacks on Akhyar Rashid and Faisal Halim, has no place in football,” JDT chief executive Alistair Edwards said in a statement on the team’s Facebook page.

FAM President Hamidin Amin said players should take additional security measures, such as hiring personal bodyguards.

“While not all players may have the financial means to hire bodyguards, it is a sensible idea, especially for star players who could attract unwanted attention,” he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times newspaper on Tuesday.